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                    Product purchasing

                    Icon depicting a flower with a dollar sign on its head
                    Most events require purchasing decisions to be made.

                    ​​​​​​Once you have made the decision you need to buy something, think about where it has come from, what it is made of and what will happen to it after the event – is it reusable or recyclable? 

                    Your purchasing power can be used to engage with suppliers and question your supply chain.

                    Did you know?

                    Eighty-five per cent of soft plastics from bags and packaging ends up in landfill.

                    Source: War on Waste statistics.

                    Purchasing from local, certified and ethical companies is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

                    Infographic depicting five product purchasing tips for events. See 'Top five tips' below for full details.

                    Top five tips

                    1. Purchase items that are made out of recycled material, are recyclable, reusable or have a guarantee that they are made to last. 
                    2. Purchase locally made products (low carbon miles).
                    3. Avoid products with excessive packaging (for example, swap single-serve packaged products with loose or bulk packaged items).
                    4. Purchase products with an environmental or social certification, such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), fair ​​trade or carbon neutral.
                    5. Support sharing goods and services (hiring or leasing), rather than buying.

                    You could also:

                    1. Check the companies you purchase from have a clear understanding of their supply chain – where things come from and how they are made, including awareness of key environmental and social risks their products may be contributing to.
                    2.  Provide staff with reusable bottles (or ask them to bring their own) and provide or sell re-usable bottles or cups to your attendees for use across your event. 
                    3. Reward attendees for bringing their reusable cups, bags and bottles with discounts or opportunities to enter competitions via social media. 
                    4. Add extra cost to single use items to encourage reusable items. For example, make coffees and alcoholic beverages 50 cents extra in takeaway cups. 
                    5. Prioritise catering that uses fair trade, local, seasonal, carbon neutral and any other sustainable food options. 
                    6. Engage a social enterprise to do your catering.

                    See also: Food and drinks, Waste management

                    Download the infographic

                    Sustainable events: Product purchasing tips

                    Planning template

                    To help you plan for responsible purchasing for your event, we’ve created a template:

                    Sustainable events: Product purchasing planning template
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